Wiener told the newspaper that tax proceeds would go to support health, nutrition, and activity programs for San Francisco youth.

"I try to cross my t's and dot my i's, and I wouldn't pursue this if I didn't think it had a chance," Wiener told the Chronicle. "There will be a big fight — the beverage industry will try to pull all the shenanigans they have pulled elsewhere — but we have a strong coalition behind this. San Francisco is always at the forefront of public health issues and trying to find innovative ways to keep the city healthy."

The Chronicle noted, though, that similar attempts to tax sugary drinks failed last year in nearby Richmond and Los Angeles County's El Monte.

"We are experiencing an epidemic of health problems caused by sugary beverages — including diabetes and obesity afflicting adults, teenagers, and even young children — and we have a responsibility to act to confront this escalating public health challenge," Wiener wrote in the release, according to the Huffington Post.

Wiener told the San Francisco Chronicle that one can of soda contains as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar — one to four more than recommended for adults per day by the American Heart Association.